eight years and many somethings later
by Wandering princess
Summary: The opera has been rebuilt and is struggling, eight years later Erik crosses paths with a Giry once more, but this time everything has changed, there are children involved, children with a very dangerous tendency to repeat history, and Meg will stop at nothing to keep her daughter from being manipulated by his little apprentice, yet some secrets have funny ways of coming to light
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, I'm trying a new Meg/Erik story, so please be kind and leave reviews for me, pleaseeeee**

1912 was somewhat of a year, the republic of china was finally established, the Olympic games of Stockholm, Rutherford discovered the composition of the atom, and a boat called the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg, what a pity, yes that year was one year to be remembered, but this is not a story about those things, this is the story about well about a ghost, and a woman quite frankly, so let us start.

It was almost a decade after the incident of the opera house, eight years actually, even if the former opera Garnier had been rebuilt from the scratch thanks to the French government funds for the arts (dunno if it exists), the building didn't hold the same opulence as it once used to, if you don't believe me just ask Mousier Destler, or as he used to be known the phantom of the opera, who had fled once he heard what his former pride had become, needless to say eight years could change quite some lives, and it was true, especially for those whose lives had been touched the night of the fire. Now lets get to our story.

Erik

"Sir, would you like me to polish your soles" asked a young boy at the train station, Erik shook is head and the boy retreated, for a man who had been in some places during his mourning days, he still had not learned to be polite. Heading now to the opera where he now worked as a Manager he adjusted his coat and continued walking. Eight years could change everything, and they had changed a lot especially in Erik, his black hair seemed to be cut in a fashion that covered half of his face, but still looked natural and even if the wind blew no soul could note the difference between the flesh colored mask he wore, and well... flesh, nobody got that close, considering this one was made of a special material he ordered from a man in America, a crazy man who called himself a scientist, Erik called him a phony, but he did his job.

Want to know what happened to Erik?, well, after escaping from the mob and wallowing in self pity wanting to die for 36 months (that's tree years girls), believing he deserved to die and pinning for Christine letting the nightmares of her torture him, staying at his manor in the country (yes the guy has a manor, do you think he wouldn't have at least a place to crash when police came? He's smart), until one day Nadir happened to appear to drag him into the world of the living reminding him he still belonged to it, but even so Erik's life was gone, it had been gone for three years, it was gone forever, yet Nadir stirred the breath in his lungs by using Erik's one powerful weakness apart from Christine, Music.

At first he had started playing a soft tune in any instrument of the music room, perfectly harmonious and then when Nadir was sure Erik was listening, he would purposely go out of key, making the man really angry at the fact precious pieces of music where being "butchered", Nadir Khan was a old friend of Erik's despite what the latter might think... he cared for the genius inside Erik going to the waste bin if the right intervention was not made, and lacking every other option, Nadir had to do the intervention himself.

At night the Indian man would listen to Erik's complaints and wallowing pain, and during the day he would use all his means to get the man to eat and walk out of his bedroom, it took time but finally months later Erik once again started composing, his music sounded raw, "impure", out of tone, for the lack of practice, but a few days in the music room had Erik's fingers in the right trail again.

But things can't last forever and Nadir couldn't stay longer to see Erik fully recovered, he was needed in "affairs", it was then Nadir suggested travelling to Erik.

"it will do you good my friend" said the Daroga adjusting his fez, standing across Erik "you need inspiration for that precious music of yours and what better than finding it outside of Paris, I heard America is a beautiful place at this time of the year, consider it Erik, Italy, visit that Grecian temple to the god of music"

Erik masked his expression too proud to let Daroga know he was considering his idea "Nadir I have not time for such a thing, France it is and France it will stay"

"i see there is no use arguing with you, till we see each other again then" said Daroga making a slight bow to his head and heading for the door "ohh and Erik hire a maid, this place is too big and too filthy for a man like you to live like this for the rest of his life"

"Get out Daroga" was the last thing Erik had told the man who left chuckling under his breath.

This is the part where our genius settles his affairs, and joins the day walkers for a change, Erik took Nadir's advice and left Paris, hired a staff of housekeepers against his better judgment and set out to travel, he visited Greece, Rome, parts of Europe and America, where he met very interesting fellows, geniuses like him in music, as well as brains of science and architecture.

He still mopped about Christine but this time for a change Erik accepted there was nothing he could do to change a past that was unchangeable. Or at least that was what he convinced himself while he was away from Paris.

When he finally returned to France he heard, his opera, the very place he had made grand was crushing figuratively on its own lack of good quality, the difference was that this time he looked less monstrous than he did last time he exited the dreadful place.

So with a bit of blackmail and money movements he was able to set himself on the managing position of what used to be the Palais Garnier, he got himself a partner of course, who dealt with everything that needed to be dealt face to face, as far as his employees of the opera where concerned, there where two mangers, mousier Dubois a old charismatic man in his sixties who chatted and praised their work often, and Mousier Destler, a man in his late thirties who despised people and barely came out of his office, except to complain, to them there where two managers, one was the man who kindly put the paycheck on their hands with a smile, and the other was the man who did the paperwork so that the money would actually get there.

"good morning Destler, anything new from the post office?" asked Claude Dubois as Erik entered his office, the man sat calmly on his chair in front of Erik's desk waiting for an answer.

"Apart from the bills, no Claude, we have been trough this before" Erik said angrily "the opera is good and we have been getting good critics from the newspapers but"

"you don't have to tell me Destler I know, nobody wants to patron us because this particular opera house has a history of bad luck" Claude sighed smoothing his white beard "but I have something more important I wish to discuss with you"

"What?" Erik snapped "what could be more important than our lack of funds, we cant use the spare money in the bank forever" Even if Erik knew he had money to support a small country for a decade he wasn't about to use it all in the opera, they needed a permanent solution that did not involve anonymous donations from a mysterious benefactor, and that was beside the point he had blackmailed and threatened and killed...well he had worked hard to have the fortune he had, even if he loved the opera he was not a man to give charity so often as he had been forced to do lately. And this situation irked him.

"Calm down it was this matter I wanted to discuss; someone has offered to patron us"

Erik was taken by surprise "does he have the means to do so?" And more importantly "Who?"

"I see this got you interested" Claude adjusted his glasses "and I am sorry to say it was not a he who has the means but a she, and I must say she does"

"Claude stops making a fool of yourself and tell me who this person is"

"i don't know yet she is noble of some sort, countess, duchess, baroness, marchioness, princess, I'll remember well her status later, I was so amused about it I didn't hear much of it at first , just that she was a widow, she sent a servant this morning in her name,"

"What did the servant say"

"My lady has watched your opera last night and request a audience with its managers, she wishes to patron it" Claude repeated textually using a rough German accent "the lad was really polite in delivering the message"

"What is her name then does her have a background or is she nouve riche, fool of a man"

"i just said I was so amused I missed her name, but I did tell the servant we could set up a meeting the day after tomorrow"

"so kind of you Claude to agree to this before consulting me" Erik glared again with his uncovered eye

"You where out" Claude Dubois protested "and that's the least of our worries, at this point we need a patron so desperately you know we cannot afford to be picky"

"you are right" against his better judgment Claude had a point, "but I must be there when we interview this so called new patroness, I need to see her for myself, as you said we cannot afford to be picky, but we can afford to be cautioned "

"well then we shall prepare the crew to meet her" Erik's partner clapped his hands and headed for the door knowing the matter was settled.

Erik didn't know if to hug or strangle the old man, he was glad to have good news in such a long time but he was furious Claude did not consult him, considering he knew of one countess he really did not want to see or hear of again for the sake of his sanity. Yet again what was the possibility Christine would want to patron the place?, a big one Erik considered mentally, but she was one in a million of noblewoman who loved the arts, then again, he had not heard of Count De-chagny being diseased, but he didn't keep tabs on them since almost a decade ago. Erik sighed, it would have been easier if the new prospect of patron where a man, or better, a couple of high society. He wondered if it was worth it, but didn't he want his opera house to achieve his former glory, if he wanted that he needed to woo the upper class snobs, princes and nobles, or rather he needed to make Claude do it, which was too much of an effort for both.

But he would find out soon enough if all the fuss he would have to put the opera's crew in the following 48 hours was worth it. He had a opera house to think of in the first place. His feelings would come later

…...

The next day passed all too fast and then it was morning, and the Noble lady, who he discovered was a Baroness, was expected to arrive in an hour, Erik was as always hidden in his office whose window had a good view of the front entrance to the building as well as the steps, concentrating in the paperwork they would present the Baroness when she came Erik did not feel surprised when a vehicle arrived half an hour early, it was after all business and rich people tended to be early to this kind of developments.

Out of curiosity Erik opened the window to see how Mousier Dubois would handle things.

A black vehicle stopped at the entrance of the opera, out of it came a chauffeur who politely opened the door for a servant girl or so she seemed to get out before their mistress, Erik saw Claude stepped forward and offered his hand to the next person, and then a woman stepped her heeled shoe out, she wore a black hat with a classic silk white ribbon tied around it, which was why Erik from his window could not see her face, her black dress was unlike most of the widows, cut in a loose styled way that gave the woman who wore it a ethereal look, as if she where floating when the wind blew.

"baroness" Claude said respectful bowing his head "welcome"

The woman of the hat with the white silk ribbon bowed her head too "Mousier Dubois, I heard good things about you" she said accepting his outstretched arm, her voice laced with a strong mixture of perfect British and slight French undertone.

"Shall we go in Mi Lady" Dubois offered

"i would be delighted" she responded her British so good it was hard to believe she was French at all.

Erik was intrigued, the woman's figure reminded him of someone, He knew something nagged at the back of his mind as he watched the servant girl trail behind the Baroness.

Inside of the opera house Francoise one of the helpers of the kitchen came to greet Claude and the baroness "good morning mousier Dubois, shall I offer you something" Claude shook his head, Erik watched the hat of the baroness twist and turn up and around as if she where assessing her surroundings, Francoise turned to her "and you mademoiselle"

"Madame, actually Madame De-berbazeq" Said the baroness working to remove her hat and then Erik saw why the baroness reminded him of something so important as he watched the golden bun of hair and the violet eyes that he knew where staring at Claude "Madame Marguerite De-barbazeq"

**Sorry I had to delete half of this chapter my beta posted by mistake because it wasn't trough proofread yet**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay from now on I'm done revising gramar, so don't judge me, the thing is I have no editor, I'm in college, and writing is my way to unwind, if I sit down to worry about every Little gramatic error then I wouldn't be able to study for finals, or eat, or read, or live, because it takes me hours to do that work so, from now on, I'm posting what I write, uncut and fresh it's the only way to actually post and not lose my drive somewhere along word's grammar editor.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this…I wish I did **

Chapter 2: Marguerite

better known as Meg, Maguerite had gotten married almost a year later after the fire in the opera Garnier, her soon to be husband was a doctor, a doctor that was tending the two persons in her life that mattered the most, Cristine Daee her best friend, and Madame Giry.

Meg met Marcus De-barbazeq at the St Angelo hospital, what used to be at that time one of the best Hospitals in Paris, her friend Cristine had just been admitted and Meg was alternating between the hospital's waiting room and looking after her sick mother at home, it was raining, and Meg was crying when someone offered her an umbrella, Meg was sure that even if she lived a tousand years she would still remember the kindness Marcus showed her the first time they met.

"you need to get out of the rain miss, come here" Marcus had taken Meg's arm softly and guided her to a nearby cofee shop, Meg noded but still she didnt stop crying.

"thank you" was all she said

"why are you crying Miss?"

"my name is Meg, not miss" a flash of anger passed by her face momentarilly lightening her sad face "and, and, my... my friend...Cristine" she couldnt even finish before starting to sob again.

"shhh shhh dont cry Meg, it's all right" he sothed "let me buy you a cofee, sit there you are drenched in rain" he said taking his heavy coat off and offering it to her.

Meg eyed the coat suspiciously and his genuine expression, wondering what his intentions where.. then she shivered "thank you Mousier" she said at last accepting the coat.

"call me Marcus" he said before heading to order, a momment later they sat together in the cofee booth and after Meg had stopped crying she explained what was happening.

Her friend Cristine was very sick, had been sick ever since the incident at the opera two monts ago.

"you are saying your friend is THE Cristine Daee, the one who was performing in the opera garnier the day of the fire?" his eyes widened and he felt sorry for Meg.

"yes that same girl" she noded, she didnt feel ashamed, not about her friend, or about the opera, she just wanted Cristy to be ok.

"they say the phantom kidnapped her that night is it true?"

"she wont say" meg sighed "all I know is that her fiancee, Raoul, he sent for me last week because her sickness has been escalating" the statement brought tears to her eyes once again "she looks so fragile..what if she doesnt make it?"

marcus reached across the booth to dry her tears with a handkerchief "she will Meg, I promise you, I am going to do all in my power, dont cry" she blew her red nose and sniffed

"i wish I could have done something, been there sooner, but no" she sniffled

"where you there that day? The day the opera garnier came down in flames?"

Meg nodded "i was one of the dancers, the prima told me that If I performed a good show that night she would make me her seccond in the main row" meg sipped her cofee and put a brave front "but even if now it's all rouined, I would still take it if it meant Cristy and maman would be healthy"

"i'm sorry Meg" he said sincerely "i can help you with your friend if that is your wish"

"how?"

"i am a doctor, i'll make sure she has the best attention, just dont cry"

later Marcus led her back to the hospital, not as tall to tower over Meg's petite frame but not her height either, he was just some of inches higher than her, with solft chesnut hair and peacefull green eyes he was to be considered very handsome by all his nurses, with solft delicate features and strong athetic body, not to mention being smart and a schoolar by nature.

From that day on doctor De-barbazeq took care of Cristine's "case", although it didnt take him long to know what the so called sickness was about he was reclutant to tell Meg let alone Raoul about it, so he pretended it was some unknown virus, sometimes he himself wondered if him prologing the future Vicomtesse stay in the hospital was only a excuse to see a certain golden haired ballernia.

As a man of twenty five his aunt, a very wealthy Baroness with no heirs had been urging him to find a wife ever since he graduated from cambirdge medicine faculty, as the years passed even she had becomed less picky "Marcus I want you to take a wife and I want it to happen soon" his Aunt had said "i am not getting any younger, and I want grandchildren, ohh forget grandchildren I want a woman to keep you out of that hospital, I dont care if she's a princess or a pea, get a wife or i'll disow you"...

Aunt Clarisse had no heirs, her only stop for not making him Baron as soon as he turned twety one was his lack of wife...

two months passed and three and then Marguerite's mother was admitted in the hospital's doors, suffering from a terrible pheumonia, making Meg's sorrow deeper, also Cristine had becomed incresingly rude towards her, now that her stomach was growing even Marcus couldnt hide the truth from Meg, her mother's kidneys where failing, her career was ruined, their bank acount became smaller and smaller with the passing days and her best friend blamed Raoul's detachment on her...it was all Meg could do not to cry herself into a early grave, she spent all her spare time in prayers, becoming slimer and slimer for not eating much and sleeping badly in hospital chairs. In the midst of everything crashing down on her, Marcus was there, comforting her, making her eat when she forgot, taking a special interest in her well being, and with nobody else to turn to Meg refuged in his frienship, he was kind, handsome and willing to help her always, even when she had nothing else in the world...

but Madame Giry was getting worse, not better, Cristine no longer could see Meg witout shouting and time was passing too slowly, and too fast, Meg felt her life was a train speeding up waiting to hit a wall sooner or later...untill one day, Marcus took her out of the hospital, with a special activitie in mind.

"where are we going Marcus, this is not funny" Meg said, sure marcus had taken her to places often, he liked to invite her to eat in a good restaurant or to somewere she would enjoy, he usually did it to take her mind away from sadness, or that was what she thought... "take the blindfold from my eyes you are scaring me"

"just one moment Meg, I want this to be a surprise" then he took the blidfold from her eyes "welcome to my favorite place in paris" it was a garden, surounded by virtually every flower she could see, smell, her moth opened taking it all in.

"is this yours?" meg asked in awe, he gave a reclutant nod

"it used to be my mother's" then Marcus knelt down surprising Meg, and from his pocket he withdrew a diamond ring, it was a golden ring, a diamond incrusted silver ribbond with a zaphire embeded in its center "Marguerite Giry I know this is not the best time and that you may want to think about this but, I love you, I have known nobody as self sacrifical as you, nobody as good and wonderfull and I never want to see you cry, let me be the man to make you happy, if not, let me be the one to try, I want to be with you forever, will you marry me?"

there is a moment in every girl's lives when a engagement ring makes them question everything they where, are, and will be, sometimes even what they where meant to be all together.

in a flash Meg saw her former life, all those days practicing ballet, dancing, dreaming of becoming a prima, her pranks with Cristine, her mother, her friends ballerinas, she saw herself telling stories about the opera ghost, watching in awe as mademoiselle Sorelli practiced her prima steps, berating the younger dancers and being berated by the older ones, going to church, hearing everything, from music to plays, she saw a life lived behind someone's shadow, her mother's, Cristine's, Sorelli's, in the sidelines witnessing everything around her with her blue eyes, waiting for her story to begin, she saw herself making leaps of courage when nobody could see her, hearing the O.G sometimes... all her life she had lived in the service of dancing, of arts, of music, she lived ate and breathed it, in a flash Meg saw herself as she was, a girl, lost, giving up everything, nothing to hold on, and Marcus was the only one there for her, he was kind and sweet and a good man, she who had lost it all, and was about to lose what was left...how could she not?.

then she looked at Marcus's hopefull face, and saw a life with him, holding hands, getting married, smiling again and it was all it took not to scream the word "yes, ohh God yes Marcus, I will"

Meg's mother from her sickbed smiled approvingly when Meg annouced it, she was getting married, Marcus mas kind and loving and made sure she had what she needed, who wouldnt love a man like that, a few weeks after Meg's engagement, Madame Giry died, leaving Meg with no living relation, alone, Madame Giry died in peace, knowing that finally someone would be there to take care of her meg.

Marcus and Meg where sad, the funeral for her mother was a simple one, even so, she cried for a week,.

But life came back to her little by little, even if Cristine's growing womb increased her friend's rudeness, Meg began to live again, happy with Marcus's courtship they decided to get married as soon as her mourning time was over.

Meg and Marcus got married discreetly, a simple ceremony since it was the middle of winter, he promised her a bigger wedding as soon as spring came but as long as she was his wife he would be happy.

A month later Marcus called Meg urgently to the hospital.

Cristine had delivered a premature baby girl.

Raoul, convinced it was a child of the devil talked Cristine into sending it to an orphanage as soon as it was out of her, she of course agreed with him, she didnt want to see it, it was a reminder of a mistake, one she paid very hard...but then Meg was there, she tried to tell Cristine that it was not worth it, that the girl didnt deserve to pay...but her friend wouldnt listen.. in fact Cristine said that the baby was better off dead...it was a hard day, Cristine and Meg fought like nobody ever heard off, flinging stunts and acusations, knwoing one of them was right, but it didnt help it... that night, a friendship was over...

"why cant you understand, you are making a huge mistake, for our friendship's sake"

"you and I are not friends anymore I cant believe you said it was my fault mme Giry died"

"yo where selfish!" Meg scremed "like you are being now"

"Meg, we where once friends but if you really think that way about me, then.." Cristine was silent "i dont want to hear about you again"

meg started to cry " you really wish that?"

"and if you like the child so much then take it, I dont want to hear about it, Roaul is right, that thing belongs to the devil"

"its a child how can you say that, you are her mother"

"why?" Cristine started to cry to "why do ihave to be its mother?, I dont want it, take it Meg, I hope I dont hear from you, or that baby anymore" she sobbed "why cant it all dissapear?"

"you'll regret it in the future Cristine, I know you will" was the last thing Meg said...

outside the room Marcus heard it all, he enveloped Meg in a hug and she cried, "she doesnt know how fortunate she is Marcus" she sobbed...and Marcus knew it, knew she resented Cristine in a way, because Marguerite coudnt have children, it never bothered her before, when she was a dancer and tought she would be in a stage forever, but now that she was married, it had been hard on her... before they wed she had told Marcus about her accident in the rafters when she was in puberty process, a accident that had somehow damaged her insides, he knew it, he had made her see one of his collegues to be sure, but unless it where a miracle, Meg could not have children, it made her sad, she really wanted a child, even when he couldnt care less for one, he knew that as a woman in the little time they had married not being able to be a mother would make her sorrowfull.

"shh shhh, my love dont cry" he sothed her

"can we keep her Marcus? We can go away, somewhere else, but I dont want that baby to be left at Raoul's mercy, he's a good man but Cristy blinds him"

Marcus thought about it, having a child to take care of would make his wife happy, more than happy, estatic, what wouldnt he do to see her smile, her eyes gleaming at the faint hope of having something to take care of, something alive, "yes love, if you want her, we will keep her, will it make you happy to do that?"

"ohhh Marcus you really mean it?" Meg cried swinging her arms around his neck and kissing him for a long time "it would make me very very happy"

in a way it was almost like adoption,and as soon as January came by Marcus resigned his place at the St Angelo in favor of going to England, where his Aunt, Clarisse waited to hear about his marrige and make him Baron.

Clarisse De-barbazeq was a good soul, albeit a bit exentric the only thing she wanted after her older brother died was to see Marcus a full fledged responsible man, with a career a wife and children to show he was mature by all means, the day Meg and Marcus appeared on her mannor's door Clarisse couldnt be happier, she appeared to care little if the little baby in her new niece in law's arms was hers or not, she had wished for grandchildren, and now she had them... it was just in time for her to retire and hand the baroness titlte over to someone younger, as she got to know Meg Clarisse thought her delightfull, Meg was kind and loving and unlike other girls Marcus had known, she looked after everything in the house and always made sure to call in to Clarisse at least once a week, wich made the baroness even more happy to finally conceed the Baron's name to her nephew. And not forgetting the little girl, the child Meg and Marcus had was all Clarisse could think to constantly pamper, Chantal, a baby that was as cute as Angels, although born with some scars in her face wich didnt lessen her beauty, was a child out of a fairytale.

This is how Chantal Melody became the daughter of the Baron and baroness De barbazeq, he and Meg concentrated all their parental instincts in Melody, the little girl with straight brown hair and intriguing amber eyes grew up in the center of her parrent's world, surrounded by as much joy and laughter as her mother could provide, with Meg's eternal sunshine refusing to let a single shadow enter Melody's life, and with Marcus's paternal love leaving no room for sadness in her little life.

Sometimes the girl wondered why she didn't have her mother's beautifull golden hair or her father's lovely skin color, instead of the baron's curly dark brown ringlets and deep green eyes, she had straight light brown hair, and amber eyes that she'd yet to see in another person, whenever she asked her mother about it Meg would dissipate her fears with a kiss telling her she took after her grandmother and some distant relations of her, but that even if she looked diferent than her and Marcus, she was still special, so special and even more beautiful than the sun, Melody doubted her, with the scars in her face who would ever think her more beautiful than the sun?, but what could the five year old girl say?, even in her very inteligent mind, there was no way to refute her mother's words, after all, her grandmother was dead, and even her great aunt Clarisse said she was beautiful.

this was the only thing that ever seemed to cast a shadow in the little girl's happy thoughts during her time in Engalnd.

In that way Melody grew little by little, basking in her parents love and devotion, constantly amazing her tutors and exeling in every task put before her little mind, so enveloped by her mother's warm halo of sunlight that never strayed too far from her heart, that it was hard to imagine that the child of darkness was being raised by the personification of light.

but it was true, the daughter of the phantom of the opera grew unbeknown to him in the English countryside surrounded by kindness peace and joy, becoming a little girl just as prone to mischief as Meg had been in her days, in the summers she delighted in running around the ballet studio her mother owned, always watching in awe and adoration as the older girls did _plies_ and_ jette's__._

making her name a prophesy in and unto itself, Melody was a child of "song and music" (Chantal comes from the French "chant" that means song, and Melody from Greek "music"), being tiny was no obstacle, her tiny feet where gracefull, her body learned to be one with music from watching her mother, and her hands soon became able to play any instrument she desired.

in a house where her mother was her father's main concern and of course Meg lived breathed and ate music, being the dancer she never ceased to be, Melody was never too far from the influence of every art known to men, Meg taught Melody to love painting, dance, poetry and acting, not to mention music, raising her as her own mother would have wanted her to, teaching Melody to dance was a highlight in her life, seeing her flourish under her love and never cesced to amze her soul.

Melody insisted on telling her mother she was a good singer, even when dancing was evidently what she'd been born to do, at which her mother would only laugh, Meg only sang for her or for Marcus, she was forever known as the dancer, not the singer, but still secretly when Meg sang Melody lullabies' the world seemed to stand still for a minute and listen.

So the days passed, and Melody exchaged the nursery for the schoolroom, growing to be quite tall and also quite curious, amazing her tutors and governesses with her constant advances, she soon began to be known as England's little prodigy, because by the time she was eight, she knew how to play both the harp, the violin and the piano, was reading in a very advanced level and knew how to dance and behave as perfectly as any british noble.

With all the joy that she projected in her personality nobody who knew her would think Chantal Melody daughter of the Baron of Barbazeq was related to someone as infamous as the O.G.

but fate of course had other plans.

Because on the eve of their eight year aniversary, Marcus's carrige took a wrong turn after returning from London, and he died in the aftermath of a very nasty accident.

Marguerite, the dowager Baroness Clarisse and Melody cried for days, all while the viciousness of London's gossipers didn't hesitate to trash Marcus's reputation after finding out how "scandalous" the accident had really been, and even when the Dowager brushed off the bad blood, being her usual eccentric self and refusing to mourn her nephew for more than a fortnight "life is made for living, Marcus is in heaven jolly and happy, I think I would know if my dead nephew wants me to wear black and waste away when I know he's not coming back" she'd said to her friends, most of them dowagers like herself, but the one who seemed to bear the worst of the viciousness of course was the baron's recent widow: Marguerite.

Meg was twenty eight and still very young, considered a woman of remarcable talents and impecable grace all over London, but Marcus's death had been hard on her walls, her heart, and her being, especially considering he hadn't been discovered alone in that overturned carrige, but in the company of a well known british courtesan.

Meg had been devastated, refusing to come out of her rooms and rejecting to see anybody exept her daughter.

It wasn't until the dowager Baroness Clarisse, mindfull of Meg's emotional wellbeing and of poor Melody (who despaired over her mama in her sleep) suggested she removed herself from London to avoid linking Melody with the scandall of her father's passing, that Meg reacted, it was six months past it, and only then did Meg regain the will to live.

She was needed by the people she loved, there where legal documents to settle and the will was the worst of all, because Marcus had left everything he had to Meg and Melody, including the Barony, as a matter of effect Meg was still being adressed as Baroness, but Melody with Marcus passing had become quite another matter, she was his only heir, and by default a quite wealthy heiress in the eyes of british society, Meg knew that as it was, both of them where easy prey for fortune hunters everywhere.

So she listened to her Aunt in law advice and decided England was no longer her home, not with the hurtfull memories, gossiping tounges and preying fortune hunters at every corner.

Melody was eight when the man she thought was her father died in that terrible accident, she'd been a child, weeping in her mother's side day and night, scared because her mama was so devastated.

by the time her mother regained her cheerful mood she was eight and a half, Melody had never seen her mother cry for so long, Meg was not the type of woman who cried, it was strange, and hurtfull in her tiny mind, somethng she never knew could happen, her mama didnt feel sad, it was as saying the sky had just truned green, for Melody, Meg was sunshine to the rain outside, she was joy and hugs, kisses in the scrape of her knee and comfort when she had nightmares, never had she stopped to consider her mama had the capacity of tears or sadness, this only made her feel worse.

Once Meg realized it was hurting Melody and that having her mop around was not what her husband would have wanted she got on her feet again, she was back to kissing Melody in the forehead and trying to smile at everything she did, Meg knew nothing about being a widow, and she was scared about facing the rest of her life so soon, but she tried, for her daughter, she called her friends and was back to her old self, her smile where albeit a little sadder but she was still as cheerfull, it gave Melody a semblance of peace knowing that the cold of gloom had departed at last, that her mother wouldn't abandon herself to grief, her mama never did dwel on sadness for long, a trait Melody also had in her personality.

Melody was also eight and a half when she met that mysterious boy at the outskirts of the French opera Garnier.

**Don't really know where I'm going with this, I'll figure it out eventually.**


End file.
